Sunday, Lazy Sunday
by ObeseCommando
Summary: Weiss wants a day where she doesn't have to worry about homework, teammates, or training. The universe does not see fit to oblige.
1. Chapter 1

**Sunday, Lazy Sunday**

Weiss took a sip of coffee from the paper cup and leaned against the wooden back of the chair. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and let out a contented sigh. The café that she found herself in buzzed around her, but the few patrons and employees that were around paid no attention to her. A lazy smile spread across her lips.

The heiress hadn't realized just how relaxing it could be to step away from the people she had been surrounded by during her time at Beacon. Sometimes, someone just needed to get away and be alone, and for Weiss, that day had come.

She opened her eyes and looked around the café. It was a small establishment that had been furnished with worn, wooden furniture. She had managed to grab a seat in a small cubby that further increased her solitude. The walls were made from bricks and were decorated with prints from local artists. Each picture depicted a winter landscape in honor of the changing season, though the cold pieces did nothing to dampen the warmth of the store. The lights were turned off in lieu of the sunlight pouring in from the large windows that adorned the front. The employees were chatting among themselves, but Weiss managed to tune them out. She sank deeper in her chair, despite the fact that it was not padded, and took another sip. Her mind hinted at the possibility of a nap and her body yearned to oblige.

The sight of a red cloak headed for the door banished that thought entirely. Weiss sat ramrod straight, her hands chilled despite the warm cup in her grip. The door opened and the little bell that indicated a new arrival chimed merrily. Moving further back into the little cubby, Weiss watched as her team leader and partner Ruby Rose walked in.

The heiress gritted her teeth and mentally scolded herself for coming to the café. She should have known that it would have been a bad idea to go to the very place that Ruby had shown her to get away from the hyperactive redhead.

To Weiss' great relief, Ruby passed by without a glance. If she wanted, the heiress could have slipped out and continued to have the day to herself. She looked at Ruby, who was staring at the menu board, hood removed and headphones around her neck. The window of opportunity was steadily shrinking. Soon, she would have her order, and then she would look for a spot. Weiss looked at all of the empty chairs and realized she was in the same seat she had taken when Ruby had first brought her there. What if it was Ruby's favorite spot?

A brief burst of music let her know that Ruby had just gotten her order and had put her headphones back on. Swearing inwardly, Weiss kept her eyes forward and sat still. Maybe if she didn't move, Ruby wouldn't notice her.

Ruby sat just on the edge of Weiss' vision. The heiress cringed in anticipation of the explosive greeting she was bound to get.

When none came, Weiss let out the breath she had been holding and risked a glance at the team leader. Ruby had stuck her nose into a copy of "Weapon" magazine she had brought. Weiss rolled her eyes. There was no way Ruby would notice her now. The heiress allowed herself to relax again and thought about what else she could do with her day.

The sun was still up, though it would be dark soon. Weiss wasn't concerned about being on the streets after the sun went down, despite all of the horrors that her parents had told her about that lurked in the shadows, waiting to claim young, unsupervised girls. Her fingers brushed on Myrtenaster's hilt. She would be fine. Besides, any street thugs that were on the prowl would hardly be a match for a Huntress-in-training.

Weiss sipped her lukewarm drink and looked at Ruby again, who still hadn't noticed her. She had kept her hood down, presenting a clear view of her red face, courtesy of the dropping temperature. The redhead had rested her magazine on the table and propped her head up with her right hand. Her silver eyes were glued to the words and pictures, but Weiss was too far away to see what the article was about. Weiss could hear the music from Ruby's headphones and sighed. Maybe that was why Ruby was so loud. It was a miracle that the girl hadn't gone deaf years ago. Regardless, the heiress figured that she was tempting fate by remaining in the small establishment. Ruby couldn't look at that magazine forever. Weiss tapped the side of her cup and figured she had already consumed half of the coffee. A refill would be nice before she left.

The heiress shook her head, her ponytail swaying on the edge of her vision. She was stalling. If she kept tempting fate, she was bound to be caught. Besides, there was surely something more productive to do on her day off.

Weiss stood up to leave, wincing as her chair made a slight screech that seemed to echo in the quiet shop. She had closed her eyes shut and was afraid to see Ruby staring at her when she opened them. When she looked, Ruby hadn't noticed anything and flipped to another page. The heiress picked up her white overcoat and slipped it on. She took her first step towards the door when a small knot formed in her stomach. She knew she could go, and she was under no obligations to talk to Ruby, but looking at the young girl sitting there by herself just felt wrong. Maybe it was because the heiress had never expected to see Ruby sitting still and not talking.

With a large, dramatic sigh, Weiss walked over to Ruby's table and sat across from her partner. Ruby immediately looked up from her magazine. Her look of confusion immediately turned into a smile that stretched ear-to-ear. She stopped her music and took off her headphones. "Hey, Weiss! Sorry I didn't see you come in."

The usual, explosive greeting wasn't as loud as Weiss had been expecting. The heiress gave a small smile. "I'm surprised you could notice anything with how loud that music was. There could've been a robbery going on and you wouldn't know."

"Wouldn't be the first time!" Ruby chuckled to herself.

Weiss raised an eyebrow but decided against asking. Instead, she said, "What are you doing here?"

Ruby leaned back and scratched her head. "Oh, you know, just hanging out. What are you doing here? I thought you didn't like this place last time."

"I never said that," Weiss huffed.

"Oh, sorry, I just assumed with the way you didn't say anything that you were bored," Ruby lowered her head.

Weiss felt like she had just kicked a puppy. She rolled her eyes and sighed. "It isn't a bad place. It certainly has its charm."

Ruby perked up and her silver eyes locked on to Weiss' cup. "What'dya get?"

"Just a regular, cold coffee," Weiss said, shaking the drink back and forth for emphasis.

"You bought an iced coffee? Isn't it a little cold for that?"

"No, you dunce, I've been in here for a while." Weiss bit her traitorous tongue. Now Ruby knew that the heiress had been avoiding her. There was no way the redhead wouldn't arrive to that conclusion, and that meant that Weiss was going to feel extremely guilty in a few short moments.

Instead, Ruby just grabbed the cup from Weiss' hand and popped the lid off. Before the heiress could ask, Ruby poured half of her drink into the cup. The redhead handed it back with a smile. "All warm!" she cheerfully exclaimed.

Weiss stared at the cup long enough to get a nervous chuckle from Ruby. "Why did you do that?" the heiress asked. "Now there's hardly anything left for you."

Ruby waved her free hand. "I don't mind. I can always get more if I want to, and I'm probably going to be here for a while anyway."

Weiss frowned. "Give me your cup."

"But—"

"This is not a discussion. Give me your cup."

Ruby relented and Weiss immediately snatched it. She took the lid off of her drink and saw that the redhead had filled it to the brim. She smiled despite herself and poured the contents of her cup into Ruby's until both were at the exact same level.

"There. Now we're even," Weiss said as she handed the cup back.

"You didn't have to do that," Ruby said.

Weiss frowned at her.

"Okay, nevermind, I take that back!" Ruby took a pull from her drink. "Mmm, tasty!" she said.

The heiress rolled her eyes and felt her smile return at Ruby's over-the-top enthusiasm. She picked her drink up to take a sip when Ruby asked, "Are you going?"

If she had taken that sip, Weiss was sure she would have spat it out. Once she composed herself, she said, "Why do you ask?"

Ruby looked over Weiss' shoulder. "I don't want you to feel like you have to stick around just because I'm here, and it's not often you get a whole day to yourself, so I just figured you wouldn't want to stick around a spaz like me," Ruby said with a shrug.

The words were stated so innocently. Weiss bit her tongue to avoid saying anything on impulse. True, she had been planning to slip out of the café to avoid Ruby, but the girl possessed a magnetism that made the heiress want to stay. Whether it was the refreshed cup in her hand or Ruby's presence, Weiss couldn't deny that she felt warmer. The redhead's cheeks were turning brighter. Weiss realized she was staring.

Abruptly standing up, Weiss said, "I'll see you back at Beacon, okay?" The words came out rushed and not as gentle as she had hoped.

A flicker of pain flashed behind Ruby's eyes, but she immediately cheered up. "Yep! See you then!"

Weiss swallowed and turned her back on the redhead. She hastily buttoned her white overcoat, grabbed her drink, and left the café.

After sitting in the warmth for so long, stepping out onto the street was like a slap to the face. Weiss sniffed and chose to walk in a random direction to get away from Ruby. Each step away made her sink deeper into her self-loathing. How could she have been so upset at such an innocent soul when she hadn't done anything wrong? Weiss harshly exhaled. She knew she couldn't go back to the café, not without looking like a fool. But where could she go now?

Weiss stopped at an intersection and considered which of the three ways she could walk down. The cold wind blew against her face and she took a sip of coffee on impulse. The drink was a little too sweet, but it chased away the chill that had started to settle on her bones. The heiress looked over her shoulder, back to the café that was now turning on its lights to chase away the coming darkness, back to Ruby.

Weiss blinked. She had spent most of her life alone. Loneliness was familiar. It was an old friend and her strongest shield. But lately, there had been a small spark inside a heart that she had dismissed as a piece of stone so long ago, all thanks to the same Ruby Rose that she had spent the afternoon avoiding and demonizing. Weiss swallowed and felt her breath coming and going in quick bursts. She forced herself to take one, shaking step.

Maybe it wouldn't be so bad to go back after all.


	2. Chapter 2

Ruby listened to the soft _thrum_ of the airship's engines and looked around. The cabin was mostly empty, save for the few Beacon students that were already mourning the loss of another weekend. Ruby shifted her attention to the window next to her. The giant lake passed below, the last rays of sunlight still flicking across its shimmering surface. She absentmindedly hummed a tune to herself. Even though she could have put on the headphones that were around her neck to listen a song, she chose not to. Ruby focused on the reflection on the window and saw Weiss in the seat next to her.

The heiress was sitting with her spine straight and hands in her lap, ever the pinnacle of grace. She kept her icy blue eyes forward and said nothing, undoubtedly busy being in her own little Weiss world with her Weiss thoughts. Ruby smiled and kept humming, her own mind wandering back to the café the two partners had just left.

When Ruby had walked into the café that afternoon, she only wanted to have a cup of coffee and relax with the latest issue of "Weapon" magazine. It was like fate had forced her to do so by making the day just chilly enough to make any prolonged walks outside unpleasant. So when she had walked in and saw who she assumed to be Weiss in the café, she strongly considered turning around to find somewhere else, but the cold wind had bit down to her bones, and the café was nice and warm. Besides, she had only caught a glimpse of a girl with white hair wearing white and blue clothes, but that could have been anyone.

Though she had wanted the white-themed blur to be her partner, Ruby told herself that Weiss wouldn't want to spend time with her outside of an academic setting or without the rest of the team. So the redhead had decided that the best thing to do would be to drink her coffee and read her magazine without looking to see whether it was Weiss or not. Ignorance was bliss. Ruby felt her cheeks heat up and she pressed her lips into a thin line. It hadn't been her best plan.

When Weiss had suddenly appeared in front of her at the café, Ruby was afraid that her heart would stop beating. In the span of a second, she acknowledged that Weiss had voluntarily approached her to talk, which either meant that the heiress genuinely wanted to talk or Ruby had done something to upset her, which could have led to an awkward discussion about how Ruby figured that putting a vial of dust in a microwave was a good idea. Fortunately, Weiss didn't seem to know about that incident, and Ruby planned to take that secret to the grave. Instead, Weiss had been intent on offering a friendly chat, which Ruby had been willing to go along with. That was until her stupid mouth ran off and asked if Weiss would've preferred leaving instead of staying there with her.

Weiss had displayed some hesitation at first. When she left, Ruby had felt ashamed and leaned as far as she could to watch Weiss walk up the street, unfazed by the cold winds even though her legs were bare. The redhead settled back in her chair and opened her magazine, prepared to stew in self-loathing for telling Weiss off when she was actually making a move to be friendly.

But she had come back.

"Ruby," Weiss said, putting a hand on the redhead's shoulder.

"Huh?" Ruby blinked and looked at her partner.

"Come on. The ship docked." Weiss removed her hand and stood. Ruby felt an odd coldness on her shoulder, but she ignored the feeling and followed the heiress off the ship.

The lamp posts leading up to Beacon were already lit as the partners walked across the campus. There were other stragglers from the airship, but Ruby didn't notice them. She focused on the sound of her boots on the stone walkway and the icy breeze that had been prevalent for the entire day. Weiss was to her right, which she knew because the heiress' ponytail brushed against Ruby's shoulder when the breeze was particularly strong. The redhead felt a lazy smile spread across her lips.

"Did you remember to finish your homework today?" Weiss suddenly asked.

"Huh?" Ruby raised an eyebrow and looked at the heiress. She was met by a calculating stare. "Of course I did. Why, did you forget about it?"

Weiss sniffed. "I was done with it by Friday night. I just want to make sure you're paying attention to your studies."

Ruby rolled her eyes. "You really need to learn how to relax."

"Excuse me?"

The pair had gotten to the doors for their dormitory. Ruby opened the door and stepped in, waiting for Weiss to catch up. The heiress wore her usual frown, probably not used to having someone enter a room before her.

"I'm just saying," Ruby said as she started going up the stairs, "you need to live a little."

"Just because I like to take my studies seriously does not mean I don't know how to relax." Ruby could imagine Weiss sticking her nose just a little higher in the air, but she didn't turn around to see. It would've been a gesture that annoyed the redhead when the two first met, but as time wore on; Ruby couldn't help but find some humor in it. She wondered if Weiss ever stopped to think about how silly she acted.

The redhead refrained from answering for as long as possible before Weiss threw a tantrum. When she could see the heiress bursting at the seams in her mind's eye, Ruby asked, "Then what do you do for fun?"

"We're still having this conversation?" The heiress' words still had a sharp bite to them, but Ruby was disappointed that Weiss actually wasn't as annoyed as she had let on. They reached their floor, passing by the familiar, unremarkable walls and doors that became a blur of the life at Beacon. Ruby stepped a little closer to Weiss to see if the heiress would give an answer. Maybe she was just thinking so hard about it that she couldn't commit to a single answer. When Ruby saw their room and had not been given a response, she deflated.

Weiss stepped forward and produced her scroll to unlock the door. She pushed it open and stepped aside. Ruby was surprised to see that the heiress was smiling. She must have caught on to Ruby's attempts at riling her. Clever girl.

"So, any plans for tonight?" Ruby asked. She took off her headphones and put them on a desk.

"I am still not hungry from all that junk food we ate," Weiss said.

"Yeah, but it was good, wasn't it?"

Weiss rolled her eyes. "I'm not even going to comment on the chocolate-frosted chocolate cookie you bought."

"I will. It was goooood." Ruby hopped onto her bed and started to untie her cloak.

"It was also the size of your head." Weiss walked around their beds to get to her luggage.

"And it was all for me," Ruby said with a yawn, "because a certain teammate wanted to eat a piece of carrot cake instead of helping me."

"Oh please," Weiss shook her head. "I'll follow your orders and I will fight any Grimm, but assaulting the calorie monster is something you will always do by yourself."

"Yang would've helped me," Ruby sang. She hung up her cloak and rolled to the other side of the bed. She saw Weiss picking up a white bag and slinging it over her shoulder. "What'cha doin?"

The heiress looked up at Ruby. Her smile was still there. "I am going to have some fun," she said, making sure to drag out each word.

Ruby knew when she was being teased. She watched Weiss walk back towards the door. The redhead felt like she had to get the last word in. "Hey, Weiss," Ruby began.

The heiress was already gone.

Ruby pouted. "That still counts," she said and fell back onto her bed.

That gigantic cookie had made her sleepy, and it didn't help that there was nothing else to do but sleep. Although she could change out of her clothes, that would require effort, and effort required motivation. All of those were running dangerously low, and the only way to refuel was by sleeping.

Ruby was robbed of a strange dream that involved Blake becoming the insane queen of the moles by a sharp poke between her ribs. She groaned and tried to get away from whoever was poking her.

"Wakey wakey," Yang sang, digging her finger into Ruby's side with the constant, gentle touch of an adult grizzly bear.

"I'm up," Ruby whined. "What is it?"

"It's time for the little leader to shower and get ready for bed!" Yang said with the same, persistent happiness that was unbefitting of the hour.

"I'm already _in_ bed."

"And you smell like trash."

"Ugh, fine, _dad_," Ruby said and rolled off of her bed. Sometimes it was just easier to not put up a fight.

"That's the spirit!" Yang said to Ruby's back. "Be sure to get behind your ears!"

The redhead closed the door behind her, cutting off her sister's nagging. She stretched her arms as she walked and yawned. What time was it? The lights in the hallway were dimmed, and most of the doors were closed. She rubbed her eyes. Why couldn't Yang just leave her alone to sleep? How come Weiss hadn't said anything about all the noise the blonde was making?

Ruby shook her head. Had Weiss even been in the room? Had she ever come back? The redhead felt her heartbeat quicken. Forget showering, there was a mystery to solve! Ruby looked where she was and realized her feet had taken her to the showers anyway. "Might as well check. She could be in here."

The showers yielded nothing.

No one was in the cafeteria.

The grounds around Beacon were empty.

Ruby sat on a bench in the locker room. Yang was probably wondering where she had went, and if the clocks were all telling the right time, it was way past her regular bedtime. She covered her mouth in time for a massive yawn. It didn't help that the day had been so relaxing that she just wanted to slip back into her bed. She stood up and made for the doors when she heard a metallic _clank_ from behind one of the doors. Ruby knew that the door led to the gym. Could Weiss be there?

The sudden development was enough for her to dispel her fatigue. Ruby jogged over to the door and silently opened it.

Beacon's gym was massive. There was enough exercising equipment to train a small army, which, in a way, was the case. Ruby couldn't see where the noise had come from and decided to sneak in. The fluorescent lights made her squint. She stopped and crouched by a weight tree in the middle of the room. Her breath almost stopped when she spotted Weiss in one of the far corners.

The heiress had decided that her normal outfit of a combat skirt, bolero jacket, and high-heeled boots wasn't enough for working out. Considering the amount of equipment in the room that begged to snag any loose fabric, it made sense. Weiss had decided to strip down to a white sports bra, which had the Schnee emblem on the back, a pair of light blue shorts, and tennis shoes. She still wore her ponytail to the side. Ruby felt as if her feet had turned to cement as she watched Weiss do ten chin-ups and get down to perform just as many push-ups. The redhead still couldn't wrap her head around the overall lack of clothing Weiss was wearing.

In all of the time that they had known each other, the heiress had been ridiculously reserved. Her normal attire always covered the majority of her body. To see the heiress dressed down both fascinated and bothered Ruby. She was fascinated to see the lean muscles of Weiss' body go through the workout that she had been going at for hours. Ruby was bothered by the fact that she couldn't look away. If Weiss caught her now, which would be easy considering the large mirrors that surrounded the room, she would be upset. Ruby didn't want to end the day of relaxed conversation in a café to end on a sour note.

"An Ursa knows more about stealth than you do," Weiss said. She dropped from the chin-up bar and added, "Ruby Rose."

Ruby hung her head and stood up. "I'm sorry, Weiss. I was just concerned because you were gone for so long."

Weiss raised an eyebrow as she drank from a water bottle. "And you decided to spy on me," she deadpanned.

"What? No!" Ruby threw her arms in the air before forcing them back down to her sides. "I just thought you'd be upset with me if I found you here. After all, you said you were going to have fun. I figured it was a private sort of thing."

Weiss sighed. "Yes, Ruby. Working out in a public gym that is provided for the entire student body is a very private endeavor. I'm glad you took my feelings into consideration."

Ruby let the sarcasm wash over her. "Well, in any event, I'm glad I found you."

Weiss crossed her arms. She didn't give Ruby the patented icy glare that she only reserved for times where she was truly upset, like when Yang "caged" her scroll. Instead, Weiss gave her the same look that she had adopted in the café. Relaxed. Content, even. She also looked like she was trying to say something that physically harmed her.

"I wasn't in any danger. But I appreciate the concern." Weiss took another drink from her water bottle. It was the closest Ruby would get to any sort of heart-felt thanks and she decided to take what she could get.

Grinning broadly, but sensing that Weiss wanted to get back to her exercising, Ruby said, "Well, I guess I'll let you get back to it. See you tomorrow!"

She had already turned to leave when Weiss said, "Hey, Ruby?"

The soft tone made the redhead stop dead in her tracks. She turned around and said, "Yeah?"

"I'm almost done here. Do you think you could stay and keep me company?"

Ruby blinked, but she only hesitated because of the odd nature of the situation. Weiss Schnee was asking her to stick around? Was she going to hear the sky falling in a few moments? The redhead nodded and plopped herself onto the closest bench. Weiss smiled and returned to the chin-up bar.

They stayed there for another hour, speaking only a few words as Weiss exercised. Ruby still felt awkward about the heiress' clothing and shifted constantly on the bench. Each time the heiress faltered and almost failed to complete the set, Ruby noticed that Weiss would look in the mirror to see the redhead's reflection and pull through. When Weiss was done and picking up her water bottle and towel, Ruby was full of questions, but she didn't dare to ask any of them. She didn't want to shatter the moment. Weiss looked at her again and smiled. The feeling was mutual.

With a nod, Weiss signified that she was headed back to the locker room. Ruby hopped off of the bench and fell in step next to the heiress. The redhead knew that all good things had to come to an end, but as the doors got closer, both of them walked a little slower to make the moment last as long as it could.


	3. Chapter 3

The warm water pelting off Weiss' pale skin was nothing short of heavenly. The day had been brisk, and even though the heiress had chased the chill away with a long and rigorous workout session, the short walk to the showers had been more than enough time for her body to cool off, leaving her covered in cold sweat. She raised her face to the shower head and turned the water a tad warmer. She didn't want to leave.

The moment was shattered when a voice came from the neighboring shower stall. "Hey, Weiss?"

Weiss turned her head away so she could speak without filling her mouth with hot water. "What is it, Ruby?"

"I'm really sorry you didn't get to spend the day by yourself like you wanted to."

Weiss rolled her eyes. Ruby could be such a dork. She picked up her bottle of shampoo and squeezed a generous portion into her hand. "Why do you feel the need to apologize?"

She could envision Ruby tapping her index fingers together and looking at the floor as she tried to get the words out. When the response came, it was in a quiet tone that was almost lost over the water. "Because I don't think I ever have. And I know how deeply words can cut."

Weiss raised an eyebrow and continued washing her hair. She didn't know what sort of answer she had been expecting, but that most certainly was not it. "Ruby?"

"I understand why you were upset in the forest when we first came to Beacon," Ruby continued as if Weiss had said nothing. "I was just being my hyperactive self, and you saw me as someone that didn't take the task seriously. I know I didn't. In the middle of a Grimm infested forest, I should have been more aware of what was happening instead of constantly trying to impress you, but I was so giddy to finally get a chance to set things straight between us. I wanted you to know I was more than just a klutz who tripped over luggage and made huge explosions."

Weiss nodded, following along and knowing that any interjections would be ignored. She thought that they had already settled the old issues, not to mention that it had been a long time since their initiation. She rinsed the shampoo out of her hair and picked up her soap. She decided that it would be best to let Ruby's rant run its course.

"I said I hated you that day." Ruby's voice caught in her throat. Weiss heard a dull _thump_ as Ruby rested her head against the wall between them. "I said that and I never apologized for it. I've been regretting it for a long time, but I couldn't find a good time to bring it up without bothering you. Today felt like the best time to say this because I've already done so much that this will probably be the least annoying thing I do."

Weiss let out a loud groan. "Are you done yet?"

"Huh? Oh, uh, yeah." Ruby backed away from the wall, probably surprised that Weiss' words carried such bite. The heiress hadn't meant to speak so forcefully.

Squeezing her eyes shut, Weiss said, "There is absolutely nothing to apologize for. Yes, you said you hated me, but I was also not in my best form that day. We managed to look past our differences and we got through unscathed. I had figured that you spoke out of irritation and that the words carried no weight. As far as I'm concerned, they didn't. Your actions since then have let me know that you don't hate me.

"As for today, I had plenty of times to be by myself. I didn't have to approach you in the café. I didn't have to come back once I had already left. I didn't have to ask for you to stay in the gym. You didn't ruin anything for me today." Weiss started to rinse the soap off of her body.

"But didn't you want to spend it by yourself?"

Weiss focused on the corner of the shower stall. "Originally, yes. But I've had enough days to myself when I was younger. There haven't been enough times where I spent the day with a friend."

The word had slipped out before the heiress could stop herself. So far, the "F" word hadn't been said between the two partners. Now it echoed in the empty showers. Weiss quickly finished showering and reached for a pair of towels. The water in Ruby's stall stopped shortly after. The heiress could hear her heart pounding in her ears. Why was the hyper redhead suddenly so quiet? It was unnerving. Finally done drying herself, Weiss wrapped the towels around herself.

They both stepped out of their respective shower stall at the same time. Ruby looked like she was in a daze, but her eyes immediately cleared and locked onto Weiss. "Am I really your friend?" Ruby asked.

The heiress sighed theatrically. "Should I call you Penny now?"

Ruby grinned and Weiss found that she couldn't stop herself from smiling. The heiress turned on one heel and walked to the lockers. The sound of wet footsteps behind let her know that Ruby was right behind her.

"You know, if you call me Penny, I'm obligated to violate your sense of personal space, right? That means you can expect a lot more hugs!"

Weiss shuddered as she turned the corner to her locker. Ruby kept walking to the one she claimed. The heiress took off the towels and felt the persistent chill hit her skin again. As she put on her undergarments and nightgown, she said, "That's a terrifying point."

"Oh, and then I can shoot lasers! From now on, call me Penny!"

"No."

"Aw. Killjoy." Ruby emerged from around the corner as Weiss was collecting the bag that contained her workout clothes. Ruby wore her usual sleeping attire, though Weiss had never seen her actually using the sleep mask. The redhead saw the heiress shake her head and giggled.

The partners departed from the locker room and set off on the quick walk back to their dorm. As Weiss stepped forward to open the door, Ruby yawned and said, "I am so tired. How can you stay up so late?"

"Force of habit." Weiss slipped into the dark room. Yang and Blake were already asleep. There was a note on Ruby's pillow, but Weiss looked away and put her bag down on one of the chairs. She figured that Yang had written it for Ruby, probably something about how her sister was up so late. The heiress sat on the edge of her bed and was about to lay down when she noticed Ruby was standing by her.

"Yes?" Weiss asked.

Ruby bit her lip and, instead of speaking, wrapped Weiss in a hug. The heiress stiffened at the touch. Where did the sudden need for contact come from? Was Ruby taking that Penny comment to heart? She sighed and decided it wasn't the worst thing to happen that day. Weiss tentatively returned the gesture.

The redhead bounced with glee. Sometimes it was hard to remember how old Ruby really was, where something as small as a hug could make her so energetic. "Thanks for spending the day with me," Ruby said.

"The pleasure was all mine." Weiss gave an added squeeze before adding, "Goodnight, Ruby."

They broke away at the same time. To her surprise, Weiss found herself thinking that the hug ended too soon. Ruby hopped onto her bed before Weiss could get a look at her face. She imagined that the redhead had a smile that reached from ear to ear. Weiss smirked at the thought and laid her head on her pillow. Before she closed her eyes and spirited away to the land of dreams, she had one last conscious thought:

It had been the best day ever.


End file.
